Digital Tradition Mirror

The Bold Navigators (The Navvies)

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Pennywhistle notation and Dulcimer tab for this song is also available

The Bold Navigators (The Navvies)

On Monday morning we make it a rule
For every man to choose his own tool
For he that come first may choose of the best
And he who comes last may take all the rest.

cho: For that's the rule of the bold navigator
     For we are jovial banksmen all.

On Tuesday morning when we go to work,
We strip off our jackets and tighten our shirts
We strip off our jackets and let them go free
We drive our poles by one, two or three.

It's when we come to the bottom run
We fill our barrows to our chin
We fill our barrow breast high
If you don't whell it another will try.

It's when that we come to the main plank wheel
We lower our hands and hold fast on our heels
For if the plank dows bend or go
Our ganger on the top cries "lookout below!"

When wqe are struck by heavy frost or snow,
We'll blow up our mess and away we'll go
We'll call to our timekeeper without any damp
To let us have our time before we go on tramp.

When that it does begin for to rain
We'll take our barrows and all gang in
For it's into a whiskey shop we go
We don't give a damn whether we work or no.

Well tell our landlady without any damp
We'll ____ up her tommy shop before we go on tramp,
For that's the rule of the bold navigator
For we are jovial banksmen all.

We'll tell our gaffer before we do go
That it's not our rule to pay what we owe,
For that's the rule of the bold navigator
For we are jovial banksmen all.

From Victoria's Inferno, Raven
From a broadside (Manchester library); tune "structured
     from  traditional elements by Jon Raven"
"tommy shop"= company store
RG

Thanks to Mudcat for the Digital Tradition!